Social Media

10 Social Ways to Find and Send Gifts Online

If you spend half as much time gift shopping as you spend on Facebook, my guess is your holiday shopping would already be finished. So, why not combine the process?

Many of the apps below produce personalized gift suggestions for your Facebook friends. Others match those friends to products on specific sites, such as Etsy and Amazon. Some of these apps crowdsource cash or creative contributions for truly special (and convenient) gifts.

The gallery below features 10 online social tools for discovering and sending gifts this holiday season. Please share more in the comments section below.

10 Social Ways to Find Gifts Online

Connect your Facebook account and search for Etsy gift recommendations by friend. The results are based mainly on Likes and interests, not necessarily on your friends' status updates, so privacy doesn't seem to be an issue.

Amazon's gift recommendation app is similar to Etsy's. Sign into Facebook and search for friends to find Amazon recommendations. Usually the first items to pop up are books, music and movies, which Amazon collects from the Facebook profiles of your friends.

DreamBank recognizes that some of the best gifts are experiences, rather than physical items. Use its service to post your dream vacation, perfect wedding or down payment on your first house. Then, invite friends and family to contribute money toward your dream.

Even better, DreamBank donates 10% of all net transaction revenue to charities of the dreamer's choice.

Sometimes the simplest ideas produce the most special results. "From a Birdie" invites people to write letters to a shared friend or family member. The group collectively uploads memories, well-wishes and photos, which are finally compiled into an "Album of Letters." Specify a day for delivery and your recipient is sure to be delighted!

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